Bio

J. Carey Thompson, Principal
For more than 40 years, J. Carey Thompson has led enrollment strategy at four nationally recognized liberal arts colleges—Furman University, Centre College, Rhodes College, and Gettysburg College. His track record speaks for itself: 48–90% application growth, up to 300% international enrollment increases, and consistent net tuition revenue gains, even in declining markets.

At Gettysburg College, Carey served as Vice President for Enrollment and Educational Services overseeing Admission, Financial Aid, Athletics, and Institutional Research. He delivered a 48% application surge and 300% international growth while implementing Early Action, a new net revenue management system, and a predictive analytics approach that transformed recruitment strategy while leading an Athletics and Recreation strategic plan and an expansion of athletic recruitment practices.

At Rhodes College, as Vice President for Enrollment and Communications, he achieved 48% application growth and 200%+ international enrollment expansion. He led the institution’s digital transformation with a Slate implementation, a new website, an integration of multiple data systems as well as initiating a net price oriented institutional aid merit and need-based aid approach.  He  successfully pivoted recruitment strategy during the COVID pandemic to deliver a record class in Fall 2021.  He also led projects for institutional market research which led to stronger top level and student recruitment messaging and storytelling.  

At Centre College, as Vice President for Enrollment and Student Planning, he drove 90% application growth with a simultaneous 25% enrollment increase, improved net tuition revenue 23% per student, and raised ACT averages from 26 to 29. He created the Centre Fellows and Centre Commitment programs and initiated the college’s partnership with the Posse Foundation while also leading institutional market research in support of the development of the college strategic plan.  

His leadership as Director of Admission at Furman University, his alma mater, included growing the applicant pool by approximately 65%, diversifying the applicant pool and student body, designed the merit aid program, initiated the use of the ACT.  He modernized student recruitment and admission systems by implementing both the Software Research Northwest and Sequitur in turn.  

Carey’s influence extends beyond individual institutions. He served as President of the Common Application Board of Directors (2009–2014), shaping the platform used by over 1,000 colleges. He received the Larry West Award from the Southern Association of College Admission Counseling—the organization’s highest honor for professional contributions. He currently serves as a Senior Advisor to the Council of Independent Colleges.  His thought leadership includes keynote addresses at the College Board Enrollment Leadership Academy, presentations at NACAC and SACAC national conferences, and a College Board monograph on data analytics in enrollment management. Carey holds a Master of Education in Institutional Advancement from Vanderbilt University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Furman University.

Professional Experience:

• Senior Advisor, Council of Independent Colleges
• Vice President for Enrollment and Educational Services, Dean of Admission | Gettysburg College – responsibilities included leadership of Admission, Financial Aid, Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation, and Institutional Research
• Vice President for Enrollment, Dean of Admission | Rhodes College, Memphis, TN. – responsibilities included leadership of Admission, Financial Aid, Communications, Data Services, and Rhodes Express
• Vice President for Enrollment, Dean of Admission | Centre College, Danville, KY = responsibilities included leadership of Admission, Financial Aid, and Career Services
• Director of Admission | Furman University, Greenville, SC

Industry Leadership:

• Active member and leader in National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), Southern Association of College Admission Counseling (SACAC), the College Board, and the Small College Consortium
• Recognized speaker and presenter on enrollment management topics
• Frequent external reviewer of other private college programs

Technical Expertise:

• Proficiency in Slate CRM, Othot Analytics, Marketview, and the EAB financial aid platforms
• Extensive experience in net tuition revenue optimization and financial aid strategy
• Extensive experience in data analytics and business intelligence applications

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